Publications in English

The Product Contact Point helps businesses by providing information on any national requirements for a particular product. This brochure describes how to use the Product Contact Point and what the principle of freedom of movement within the EU means to businesses.

To make it easier for companies to come into contact with authorities in other EU countries, the web-based ”points of single contact” (PSC) have been created. Here one can easily access information and carry out ones company’s obligations, such as submitting applications, electronically. The leaflet describes how to use the PSCs and what the principle of free movement means for businesses.

The changing nature of trade through a geographical fragmentation of production, often referred to as global value chains, is becoming common knowledge among trade policymakers. With the launch of negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) it is natural to put insights related to the emergence of global value chains into practice in a trade negotiation of global significance. A global value chain perspective is the intuitive approach in any modern trade negotiation, but it becomes even more important when the world’s two largest and most advanced economies engage in a possible partnership.

According to the EU anti-dumping regulation, the calculation of dumping for companies in a non-market economy should be based on values from an analogue country. In this brief, the National Board of Trade discusses some weaknesses with the current analogue country method, and suggests amendments on how the Regulation could be improved in order to address them.

Anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures enter into force the day after they are publically announced. This makes it difficult for importers to plan their business activities, as months may pass between placing an order and customs clearance. This brief explains why the European Commission's proposal on the shipping clause, in certain ways, fails to solve the importers' situation and suggests how the proposal could be improved in order to address these weaknesses.

Many government officials working with trade in services express similar challenges, such as the lack of reliable data, the challenges of coordinating national ministries and the need for dialogue with the private sector and other interest groups.

In cooperation with a number of government agencies, the Swedish National Board of Trade launched a practical handbook describing how Sweden works with SPS-related export barriers at the start of 2012. Now the publication has also been translated into English.

The internet and e-commerce are creating new opportunities for international trade. The geographic distance between buyer and seller is becoming less important, and companies can now reach consumers in foreign markets in ways that were previously impossible. However, as e-commerce grows and creates new opportunities, new trade barriers are also appearing.The study is based on interviews with Swedish companies, and identifies the barriers they encounter in their e-commerce business in countries outside the EU.